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Hagl??fs Spitz Jacket review

This award-grabbing, hard-wearing, waterproof jacket packs oodles of function without sabotaging the form

from £270.00

24 October 2007/6:00BST

If you’re forced to go outside and brave what appears to be the meteorological equivalent of a washing machine, make sure you grab a Spitz before the door slams behind you.

Haglofs has been churning out outdoor gear since the First World War, and it really knows what it’s doing when it comes to keeping you dry. The Spitz is yet another award winner from its vaunted design labs.

Robust but light

The thing that makes this jacket stand out in the highly competitive waterproof outerwear market is that it is robust and hard wearing yet flexible and light, which isn’t an easy combination to achieve.

Haglöfs has done it by putting the right materials in the right place to do the right the job. Where damage from carrying equipment or chafing on rock could cause damage they have used tough Gore-Tex Pro Shell Cordura. Although highly durable, it also weighs more, so in low abrasion risk areas they've put in lighter Gore-Tex Pro Shell Ripstop instead.

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Punching above its weight

The whole jacket was then designed to have as few seams as possible, and then assembled with lamination techniques using thin taping. This not only means there's less places for water to creep in, it also makes it a bantam-weight coat that punches well above its league.

Final touches like the three-way adjustable hood that is cut to sit over a helmet and multi-function styling ensure the Spitz is a credible choice no matter what you want to do in the wet. Even if it's just wandering around in the rain, crying softly to yourself whilst listening to Bill Withers on your iPod.

Stuff says...

Hagl??fs Spitz Jacket review

If you go mountaineering, ski, hike, bike or walk the dog this is the only breathable waterproof jacket you need to buy